Numb-nuts 1 Posted May 29, 2012 Guys, I haven't a clue where to post this so I thought i'd just go ahead and post here as my van is my biggest help when installing. It carries my ladders, tools materials etc to the job with me. So far it's never let me down. It isn't great on fuel (Diesel) but that's about all I can criticize. It's a great asset. Anyway, here are some pictures If you feel like taking pictures of your van and post them here I'd love to see what others vans are like. By the way, thats a Black and Decker workmate not a Snap On I just like the stickers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shockwave199 0 Posted May 29, 2012 Cool, but could you drive a little faster- I'm stuck behind you. A few of my friends have mentioned the price of gas to keep their service vehicles going every day absolutely affects- and can kill- the bottom line. I feel for all you guys with trucks and vans. The gas budget can be a killer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Numb-nuts 1 Posted May 29, 2012 The fuel is really nothing compared to the cost of motor insurance, this was about £800.00 (nearly ($1300) I normally pay my insurance annually, but this was just too much to pay in one go so I pay monthly. Insurance was such a shock, nearly half what the van cost me to buy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
groovyman 0 Posted May 30, 2012 Thanks for sharing. I sometimes consider getting a Ford Transit Connect here in the US for my business. I mainly work on POS systems and quite a bit of local area networking along with pc/server configuration & repair. There's also the occasional audio & TV installations - oh, and of course some CCTV I carry alot of parts in my car (Pontiac Vibe) and it's quite full. This morning I needed to purchase equipment for a job I did this afternoon: four 24" LCD TV's, one 40" LCD TV, mounts for all, am/fm receiver, ceiling speakers, two UPS and two desktop PC's. I already had a DVR w/ 7 cameras and all cabling in my car and I fit it all in (it's an art), but it's days like today where I really needed more cargo room. As far as the price of gas and insurance, along with tolls, wear & tear and time spent traveling, I build that in to my fees from the beginning. I'm up front about it too and never get any complaints. People understand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nDAlk90 0 Posted May 30, 2012 Your van is nicely organized. This seems like a nice van also. Advertised as 22 City, 27 Highway. Made by Ford. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Numb-nuts 1 Posted May 30, 2012 Thanks for sharing. I sometimes consider getting a Ford Transit Connect here in the US for my business. I mainly work on POS systems and quite a bit of local area networking along with pc/server configuration & repair. There's also the occasional audio & TV installations - oh, and of course some CCTV I carry alot of parts in my car (Pontiac Vibe) and it's quite full. This morning I needed to purchase equipment for a job I did this afternoon: four 24" LCD TV's, one 40" LCD TV, mounts for all, am/fm receiver, ceiling speakers, two UPS and two desktop PC's. I already had a DVR w/ 7 cameras and all cabling in my car and I fit it all in (it's an art), but it's days like today where I really needed more cargo room. As far as the price of gas and insurance, along with tolls, wear & tear and time spent traveling, I build that in to my fees from the beginning. I'm up front about it too and never get any complaints. People understand. A ford Transit connect is cavernous inside. They can hold such a lot of materials and equipment. I have a friend that has one with windows and uses it for family during the weekends and business during the week. He did spend a lot of money on it getting it fitted out but he has a dual purpose vehicle which his kids love. There is also a windowed version of the Peugeot Partner and I have often thought I could go for one of those when the time comes to replace the "old gal" but I like having a separate car. Loading LED or LCD panels into even a van can be precarious as you tend to try and use the spare space and really it needs reserving for such times as when transporting equipment. I tend to have equipment delivered to the site and not store it in the van but sometimes you just have to collect on the day. Have you considered a roof box? looks like your burying your own family member on the cheap, but they are effective and can carry quite a load. By the way, that van shown above looks like the best, but that brand will have cost a fortune to fit out and I simply didn't have the budget. Correction My van LOOKS well organised Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeromephone 6 Posted May 31, 2012 Nice but where are the coffee cups half eaten lnches and old cameras and parts stored Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Numb-nuts 1 Posted May 31, 2012 Oh I had to remove those so I could take the pictures Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
groovyman 0 Posted May 31, 2012 Have you considered a roof box? looks like your burying your own family member on the cheap, but they are effective and can carry quite a load. That's funny! Nah, never considered one of those, but thanks for the suggestion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Numb-nuts 1 Posted June 3, 2012 Save you a fortune in funeral expenses...NOT! My Coffin is going to be the shape of a huge body camera housing..... well maybe no window at the end of it The image is a composit of what I expect it to look like. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3RDIGLBL 0 Posted June 5, 2012 Got my Ford Transit Connect a few weeks ago. I have just under 3k miles on it already. Biggest complaint I have with it is that there is no power. I live in a hilly area so we have some good size hills around here and this poor van just keeps downshifting. I don't even have much in it and have no ladder rack on the roof. The interstate is 75 mph and this van does not like that speed. That 4 cylinder needs some more power. On the other hand I am getting between 23 and 28mpg depending on driving conditions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nDAlk90 0 Posted June 5, 2012 Wow. Who goes 75mph on a van. That is very fast for a car let alone a van full of equipment and technology. Where are you located? I like to live by the saying (translated from another language) "the calmer you drive, the longer you will be". Words to live by. Obviously some people didn't read the story about the turtle and the hare. The interstate is 75 mph and this van does not like that speed. That 4 cylinder needs some more power. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
groovyman 0 Posted June 5, 2012 Wow. Who goes 75mph on a van. That is very fast for a car let alone a van full of equipment and technology. Where are you located? Come on down to South Florida. Speed Limit is 70MPH on the FL Tpke, but if you do 70 you have people crawling up your ass. 75-80 is the norm but many drive much faster. I do an average of 20,000 miles per year and rarely see drivers pulled over for speeding. Maybe once every 3 months I'll see speedtraps. I like to live by the saying (translated from another language) "the calmer you drive, the longer you will be". Words to live by. The first time gas hit $3/gal. I started driving slower. It was amazing how much better I felt while driving. I really did it to improve gas mileage, but got that extra benefit of being calmer throughout the day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thewireguys 3 Posted June 5, 2012 Wow. Who goes 75mph on a van. What type of Van do you drive? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3RDIGLBL 0 Posted June 5, 2012 Wow. Who goes 75mph on a van. That is very fast for a car let alone a van full of equipment and technology. Where are you located? Maine. It 65mph starting mid-Maine South and 75mph north of there. It's all wooded and the gaps between exits is long. Was always long and boring and doing 75 was the norm anyhow except now they made it legit. I set the cruise to 75 exactly but even the slightest incline causes the van to downshift. Really not built for all roads lol! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Numb-nuts 1 Posted June 5, 2012 It was my sat nav that helped me arrive calmer, but driving slower also has that benefit. The next addition to my van that I make will be a two camera DVR with sat nav speed recording. The reason I want one is to record trucks that creep up behind me and suddenly blow their horn when like two feet behind me, in an effort to scare me. I hate tailgaters. I intend to turn over the recordings to police in the various juristictins, (hense the satnav element). Boy they think they are being clever, lets see how clever they feel when they try to deny any wrong doing and find themselves PUNKED! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
